How To Do Maha Vedha Mudra (The Great Piercing Attitude) | Breathing pattern | Awareness | Maha Vedha Mudra Benefits | Precautions | Practice note
Maha Vedha Mudra (the great piercing attitude) is a bandha (lock mudras). It is considered to be a very powerful practice for introverting the mind.
How To Do Maha Vedha Mudra (The Great Piercing Attitude)
- Sit in padmasana. Relax the body and close the eyes. Place the palms of the hands on the floor beside the thighs with the fingers pointing forward or make fists with the knuckles facing down.
- The arms should be straight but relaxed.
- Inhale slowly and deeply.
- Retain the breath inside.
- Raise the body by placing all the weight on the hands and straightening the arms.
- Gently beat the buttocks on the ground 3 times, keeping the awareness at the perineum. The buttocks and the back of the thighs should touch the ground simultaneously. The spine must be kept straight.
- Gently rest the buttocks back on the floor. Exhale.
- This is one round.
- When the breathing returns to normal, repeat the process.
- Practise 3 rounds.
Breathing pattern while doing Maha Vedha Mudra – The Great Piercing Attitude
- Inhale deeply in the starting position.
- Retain the breath inside while raising and lowering the buttocks.
- Exhale only after the body has been finally lowered to the floor.
Awareness
- Physical – on retaining the breath while lightly beating the buttocks.
- Spiritual – on mooladhara chakra. Sequence: After asana and before meditation. Precautions: Beat the buttocks very gently. It is important to use a thick mat to avoid injury. Do not let the coccyx (tailbone) land directly on the floor. The backs of the legs and buttocks should hit the floor simultaneously. This cushions and distributes the impact over a wide area.
Maha Vedha Mudra Benefits
- This is a powerful practice for introverting the mind.
- It awakens psychic faculties and the kundalini which resides in mooladhara chakra.
Precautions while doing Maha Vedha Mudra – The Great Piercing Attitude
- People who have any inflammatory disease, infection or general complaints in or around the pelvic area should avoid this practice. Those with heart problems, high blood pressure, sciatica or weak or injured knees should not attempt this practice. Do not practise during active menstruation or pregnancy.
Practice note
- If padmasana has not been mastered this practice can be performed with the legs outstretched, although this method is less effective.
- The Sanskrit word maha means ‘great’ and vedha means ‘piercing’. The purpose of maha vedha mudra is to pierce mooladhara chakra and channel the kundalini energy upwards. This technique belongs to hatha yoga and is a preparatory technique for the kriya yoga practice of tadan kriya.